By Dec 17, the Supreme People’s Court, working with a credibility rating platform, has on 130,000 occasions prevented people who fail to obey court monetary judgments from making online purchases or taking out a loan, forcing 5,300 of them to pay off their debts. More than 1,500 of them had failed to pay the debt for three to four years.

In the past, courts encountered problems with judgment enforcement, especially when individuals or institutions refused to pay. The SPC started cooperating with Sesame (Zhima) on July 24, 2015 to share networked information about these people — a first attempt of its kind.

Sesame prohibits them from using online platforms, including shopping on Taobao, renting a car, buying tourism products such as plane or train tickets, or booking a hotel room. They are also given low credibility points which are released online to urge them to comply. The credit rating is kept for five years after the monetary order is satisfied, so the effect on their credibility, although strong, gradually fades.

Since July 2015, people failing to pay according to court judgments are prohibited by the top court from buying plane, high-speed rail, and bullet train tickets.

By the end of February 2016, the SPC will be able to use network connections to inquire about, freeze or transfer funds from any bank account of any legal entity or individual subject to a court judgment, according to a circular issued in late December.

Information sharing also protects the interests of merchants by exposing customers with low credit points and high risks of default.